HomeClassic Paintball ScansPaintball Firsts from APG October 1987

Paintball Firsts from APG October 1987

I’ve been working on a paintball event timeline which will includes the innovations, production release dates, tournament and game dates and more.  While looking for info on the release date of the Smg 60 I came across a technical tips article from the October 1987 issue of APG which included several paintball firsts.
At the bottom are the text versions and scanned image of the article.

In the article the following dates and innovators are credited:
1985 – 1st use of the pump handle in Southern California –  Steve “Gunner” Tetz of the Headhunters.

Steve Gunner Tetz fills co2s
Steve “Gunner” Tetz fills co2 canisters at Sad Sak’s War Zone. Likely Summer to August 1986 (Big Game III?).
Photo courtesy Rose and Don Hudson of the Sat Cong Headhunters.

1986 – Commercial shot tube adapter (PK-45?) – Earon Carter and Stan Russell in March of 1986 and marketed through McMurray and Sons.

1986 – Marauder / Sheridan rebarreling – Was “developed by Earon Carter, Stan Russell and Wesley Poate. It was prototyped at the first big 500-man game at [Sad Sak’s] War Zone in August ’86 as the Marauder with the “Headhunters” team.” Sold by McMurray as the Annihilator as of November 1986.

1985-6 – Direct Feed or Stick feed? – “To the best of our knowledge the gravity feed tubes, which you find on many guns today, was developed by Dave Loo of the “Kamakazi Shooters” from the LA area. These are now an almost standard item on both custom and commercial guns.”

And the text version of the article (below):
___________________

TECHNICAL TIPS
Q: Where do all of the aftermarket modifications come from?

A: Who knows? Many of them were seen by someone on somebody’s gun who got the idea from somebody else, or were developed independently and almost simultaneously by different people in different areas. Stocks, for example, are mentioned in The Official Survival Game Manual by Lionel Atwill, which was copyrighted back in 1983. Over the years stocks have been refined and produced/distributed commercially by numerous individuals, including the authors herein. Pumps to our knowledge. were first introduced to the game (in the SoCal area, anyway) by Steve “Gunner” Tetz on a Sheridan pistol back in ’85. The idea was later refined by Stan Russell and Earon Carter and mass produced for the commercial market for which they received royalties through McMurray & Sons. Sheridan then caught on to the idea and started producing themselves.

The concept of extended magazines has been around almost as long as the game itself. This idea is, again, mentioned in Atwill’s book circa 1983. The commercial Shot Tube Adapter was designed and produced by Stan Russell and Earon Carter around March of ’86 and marketed through McMurray and Sons.

Annihilators, the concept of taking off a short barrel and replacing it with a longer, honed barrel (with a smaller chamber and bolt to prevent ball breakage), gravity feed, dovetailed,iron sights for scopes, larger pump handles, etc. was developed by Earon Carter, Stan Russell and Wesley Poate. It was prototyped at the first big 500-man game at War Zone in August ’86 as the Marauder with the “Headhunters” team.

It went into production in September ’86 and was later renamed the Annihilator by Tim McMurray when it was made available to him for sale around November ’86.
Silencers were refined, developed and patented by Hiram Percy Maxim back in the 1920’s. They were then legally obtainable by the public and used for hunting through the 30’s, until Al Capone and Company spoiled it for everybody. There is, to date, some question as to whether or not paintgun silencers are actually illegal, since they do not fit all of the criteria specified by the Federal government. At present, one of our designs has been sent back to the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, & Firearms (BATF) for evaluation. But be careful one individual posing as a BATF agent supposedly appeared at Field Games in Corona, California and confiscated some silencers (probably for resale). Later, when a member of the Los Angeles Police Department phoned the BA TF District Supervisor, the Supervisor stated he had no knowledge of such an action and that any such action would have to go through him. What anyone would have to gain from this type of reprehensible horseplay one can only surmise. We’ll keep you informed as this controversy is resolved.

To the best of our knowledge the gravity feed tubes, which you find on many guns today, was developed by Dave Loo of the “Kamakazi Shooters” from the LA area. These are now an almost standard item on both custom and commercial guns. This information is, to the best of our knowledge, reasonably correct based on our conversations with literally hundreds of players. If and when more data is forthcoming on this subject, it will be made available. If you have any tidbits of information that you wish to share, any concerns or if you have any questions regarding the sport or the equipment, mail them to us care of Action Pursuit Games.

About the authors:
The authors represent both vendors and manufacturers. More than that, however, they represent the game since all are members of various teams in the SoCal area.

•From JK Enterprises in Hawthornre are: Earon Carter (“Widowmokers”), John Klein (“Kamakazi Shooters”), Wesley Poate (“Widowmakers”) and Stan Russell (‘”Widowmakers”).
•From Gramps & Grizzly in Riverside are: Lou “Gramps” Grubb (“Fighting 69th”) and Mike “Grizzly” Grubb (“Fighting 69th”).
•From D’s Guns in Southgate is: Dennis Martinez (“Wolfpack”).
•From Gunner’s Place in Corona is: Steve “Gunner” Tetz (“Headhunters”).

And the article Scan:

October 1986 Technical Tip Scan
Technical Tips Scan from Action Pursuit Games, October 1987.
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